GAWA Capital participates in the "Impact Investing" forum organized by Spainsif

Madrid – May 2019.

On May 21st, 2019 Agustín Vitórica, co-CEO and co-founder of GAWA Capital, participated in the "Impact Investing" forum organized by Spainsif, the platform that promotes socially responsible investment in Spain. Attendees included GAWA Capital, Microwd, "Más Familia" Foundation, "CREAS", BNP Paribas and Bankia.

From different viewpoints, experts agreed on the importance of aligning investments with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the retail space. Participants also acknowledged that it is becoming ever more important to measure the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact of investments using standardized and specific metrics.

The first roundtable was moderated by Gloria González, Coordinator of Corporate Social Responsibility and Socially Responsible Investments at "Economistas Sin Fronteras". Panelists included Isabel Oriol, Impact Director of Microwd; Agustín Vitórica, co-CEO and co-founder of GAWA Capital; and Rafael Fuertes, General Director of the "Más Familia" Foundation. Agustín Vitórica emphasized the SDG goals cannot be achieved without the contribution of private investors like GAWA Capital, which has raised USD 73 million to make impact investments. Agustín Vitórica highlighted that, annually, capital worth double of Spain's GDP will have to be mobilized to address the SDGs. He also stressed the importance of rigorously tracking impact performance against the SDGs. Regarding its commitment, GAWA Capital uses IRIS+, the methodology used for measuring the contribution of investments to the achievement of these goals. Agustín Vitórica also pointed to innovative models of collaboration between public and private actors, aimed to attracting investors toward impact investing. Blended finance is one way to use catalytic capital from public sources to increase private sector investment in sustainable development and is proving to be an effective risk-sharing arrangement which supports the formation of partnerships and it is focused on results.

The second roundtable, moderated by Javier Garayoa, CEO of Spainsif, contributed the vision of Emilio Ayanz, Partner of "CREAS", Sol Hurtado de Mendoza, General Director of BNP Paribas Asset Management for Iberia, and María José Gálvez Cardona, Head of Sustainability at Bankia. This group bets on bonding impact investment products with the SDGs, building up a global sustainability strategy upon the dialogue with regulators, companies and other shareholders and the relevance of setting the path for other funds of similar characteristics.

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